Carburetor de-icing means



0. HENNING CARBURETOR DE-ICING MEANS Filed Aug. 26, 1949 ATTORNEY .6 mmNN mN y 0 T T O FIG.3.

Nov. 10, 1953 Patented Nov. 10, 1953 CARBURETOR DE-ICING MEANS OttoHenning, St. Louis, Mo., assignor to Carter Carburetor Corporation, St.Louis, Mo., a cor poration of Delaware Application August 26, 1949,Serial No. 112,432

3 Claims. (01. 261-41) This invention relates to carburetors forinternal combustion engines, and consists particularly in novel meansfor avoiding the ill effects of icing particularly in the vicinity ofthe throttle and idle port.

In the operation of a carburetor of the type having a butterfly throttlevalve and an idling port controlled by the edge of the valve when thelatter is closed or substantially closed, it is found in practice thatthe carburetor is subjected at times, to an icing condition on thethrottle valve and in the region of the idling port. Rapid expansion ofthe air and vaporized fuel passing around the valve cools the valve andadjacent metal parts so as to condense and sometimes freeze moisture inthe entering air. Such ice formation tends to cut off the supply of fueland air to the engine resulting in erratic engine firing, or enginestalling.

It is the general object of the present invention therefore, to providemeans automatically responsive to icing conditions to eliminate the illeffects mentioned and, more specifically to break up the ice formationand free the port. In the present example, such means preferablycomprises a thermally responsive element mounted on the throttle valveadjacent the idle port sothatwhen the throttle valve is substantiallyclosed, and ice has formed at the idle port, the

reduced temperature will cause a movement of the element and consequentbreaking and removal of the ice.

The foregoing objects and other more specific objects will appearreadily from the following description of the presently preferredembodiment of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawingwherein:

Fig. l is a transverse sectional view vertically through a carburetorembodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view in perspective, of the throttle valve havingthe device of the present invention associated therewith;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to that of Fig. 2, but showing the thermallyresponsive element with its free end displaced, and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary enlarged view of the carburetor of Fig. 1, takenin the immediate region of the idle port and throttle valve thereof,

(not shown), passage Ill being controlled by a throttle valve IE onpivot shaft 16 journalled in the walls of mixture conduit'lll. Venturistack l9, including main fuel nozzle 2!) is formed in the mixtureconduit anterior to throttle valve l5. An air intake passage 23 isformed in the carburetor anterior to the Venturi stack. Afloatcontrolled fuel chamber 24 is provided for supplying fuel to mainnozzle passage 20, 28 through metering orifice 26, controlled bymetering valve 21, and to idling ports 30 and 3| through passages 32 and33. As indicated, idling port 3| is provided with an adjusting needlevalve 34.

As is usual in carburetors of this type, port 30 opens to mixtureconduit [0 in a position for control by the throttle valve I5 when thelatter is closed, the edge 36 of throttle valve I5 then being adjacentthe portion of the mixture conduit wall surrounding port 30. Abi-metallic strip element 31 is arranged substantially along a diameterof the anterior face 38 of throttle valve l5, and has its end 40 securedto the valve in any suitable manner, as by the rivets 4i The oppositefree end 42 extends abreast of the throttle valve edge portion 36.Element 31 is so callbrated that in normal carburetor operation when thetemperature adjacent the idle port and throttle valve is above freezing,the element will lie fiat on the valve as shown in the view of Fig. 2.On the other hand, when the element is subjected to freezingtemperatures its free end portion 42 will move away from valve margin36, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, thereby breaking any ice formationadjacent the idle port and removing the ice particles.

Element 31 carried by the throttle valve in the position described, doesnot interfere in any way with normal carburetor operation in respect tofuel mixture flow through passage l0, since its normal or inactiveposition is flat against the anterior face of the throttle valve (Fig.2). When however, the throttle is closed, the element is thereby locatedwith its free end 42 closely opposed to port 30, so that in the presenceof icing at the port it will function automatically in the mannerindicated, to free the port. Element 31, which is capable ofcounteracting ice formation, may be mounted on structure adjacent thethrottle or port.

Having now described and illustrated a presently preferred embodiment ofthe invention, it is to be understood that the embodiment shown may bemodified without departing from the spirit and full intended scope ofthe invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a carburetor having a fuel mixture passage, a throttle valvetherein, a fuel port in the wall of said passage adjacent the edge ofsaid throttle valve when closed, and a thermostatic strip lyingdiametrically on said throttle valve and having one end fixed thereto,the opposite end of saidrthermostat being free and located immediately;adjacent the: marginal portion of said.

throttle valve, at temperatures above freezing, and

being constructed to flex away from said portion= thermostatic strip onthe anterio'r'surface of said' throttle valve and fixed at one endthereto,.the free end of said strip terminating near andengaginggthemargin. of saidvalve adjacent said pprtt at temperaturesabove. freezing, saidv strip;

4. being constructed to flex away from said valve, in response tofreezing ambient conditions, so as to break ice formation thereon.

3. In a carburetor having a fuel mixture passage and a. fuel port opento said passage, a butterfly throttle valve in control of said passageand port, and a thermostatic element having a free partlocatedimmediately adjacent thelperiphery Rcferelice slGitedifi the file ofthis patent UNITEDXSTATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,05%),68'7 Gagg Nov.3, 1936 20 21102211' Farrell Mar. 8, 1938 2,393,760 Eberhardt- Jan. 29,1946 244025208 Read"- June:18; ..1'946

